Rahm scuffles at Spanish Open, barks at marshal

MADRID -- Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry struggled successful their instrumentality to enactment aft helping Europe triumph the Ryder Cup, with Rahm concisely arguing with a marshal who tried to cheer him up during the Spanish Open connected Thursday.

After his thrust recovered the near unsmooth connected the par-4 eighth hole, Rahm saw his prevarication and started complaining: "What a day, what a day," helium said, followed by an expletive.

The marshal who marked his shot said "It's OK," and Rahm instantly looked astatine him and said: "Don't archer maine it's OK, please. Thank you."

The marshal apologized arsenic helium walked away, portion Rahm continued complaining: "It's not OK."

Rahm made a par connected the hole, but past bogeyed the adjacent - his past of the time - to decorativeness with a circular of 1-over 72. He holed a bunker changeable for an eagle connected the par-5 14th, but his circular included lone 1 birdie and 4 bogeys.

Rahm played successful the aforesaid radical arsenic Lowry, who made the clinching Ryder Cup putt for the Europeans successful New York past month, erstwhile the raucous location assemblage tormented the European players from the start. Rahm said portion successful Madrid that the Ryder Cup was the toughest week mentally of his career.

Lowry changeable a 4-over 75 successful his opening circular astatine the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. The Irishman had six bogeys and 2 birdies.

The clubhouse leaders were Englishman Marco Penge and Frenchman Frederic Lacroix, who changeable rounds of 5-under 66.

Rahm is trying to triumph a grounds 4th Spanish Open rubric and surpass Seve Ballesteros arsenic the tournament's astir palmy golfer since the instauration of the European circuit successful 1972. Rahm is making his seventh quality successful Madrid, with his victories coming successful 2018, 2019 and 2022. He was runner-up to chap Spaniard Angel Hidalgo successful a playoff past year.

Ballesteros won the past of his 50 titles connected the European circuit astatine the Spanish Open successful 1995.

It is the archetypal clip the tourney offers an automatic spot successful adjacent year's Masters and the British Open to the winner.

World No. 1 tennis subordinate Carlos Alcaraz, besides a Spaniard, was among those pursuing Rahm successful Thursday's opening circular successful Madrid.